The American people have a very diverse heritage. Often called the “Melting Pot,” America finds its heritage in a number of different countries, European or otherwise. This results in many Americans identifying themselves according to their heritage.
It is not uncommon to hear an American claim that they are German, Irish, etc. This might be strange for actual citizens of those countries, but for an American it makes complete sense. After all, in such a diverse country, it is only logical that one’s ancestry, which is so potentially different from others’, might be something to take pride in, or merely just a common topic of conversation.
Americans find it very interesting to discuss the cultures their ancestors came from, as well as what sort of effects these cultures have on their daily lives now. What can also be quite interesting is a discussion of which ancestries are found most commonly in which parts of the United States.
When such an investigation is made, it becomes clear that a few cultures dominate certain regions of the country. German heritage in particular seems to almost take over the entire northern region of the country, ranging from the Carolinas all the way up to Washington, while even dipping into Florida. Mexican ancestry understandably dominates much of the southern border, particular from Texas on westward to California.
The region typically qualified as the South is something of a mixed bag of ancestry. This region is predominantly Irish though one also finds a smattering of English and French heritage throughout the heartland. English ancestry is unsurprisingly found commonly throughout the country, but perhaps most of all in the New England area, where one could also find French and Irish heritages.